Hello! Welcome to episode 73 of I’d Rather Stay In. This week, things are getting weird as we circle back to our love of musicals with our friend Caleb Finley.

Episode transcript

Welcome to I’d rather stay in with your hosts Megan Myers and Stephie Predmore. This week we’re chatting about musicals, specifically movie musicals with our guest, Caleb Finley, stay tuned.

Hi, Megan. Hello.

So I feel like I need to tell our listeners about my journey with my child who does not want to keep her pajamas on. Um, if any of our if any of you guys listening, follow me on Instagram, if you’ve any follow my Instagram stories, you’ve seen some of this. But recently we’ve encountered when we put Eden down for bed. Or like when if she wakes up and like we’re not awake, and she’s just like hanging out in her crib. She likes to strip her pajamas off, and that’s fine. The problem is that she also strips her diaper off, which is somewhat less fine, because then she does things like pee or the one time she stripped her diaper off and there was poop in it. And she just like threw it outside of her crib onto the floor that was doesn’t belong in the crib. Megan pointed out like she’s very smart. She knows that poop to stop. So we tried many things, we tried to put her sleep sack on her backwards, she still figured out how to get out of it. We tried like there was one type of pajama where she was like the like Zippy ones that have the snap tab at the top, where she was like not getting out of those. And then she figured those out. And finally, we have just had to resort to putting a piece of packing tape on her diaper over the tabs to keep her from stripping her diaper off while she’s in her crib. And we basically have to do this at like every naptime and bedtime.

I would just like to point out that my husband was actually correct in this instance, because as soon as I told him that you guys were having this problem at the beginning of the problem, he was like this is just they should just use duct tape.

And as it turns out, and as it turns out, the only thing that works The only thing that works Yeah, it’s literally the only thing that could like I had even like the other day she was so tired before her nap. And so I like put her I had her diaper on I had pants on her. And she was so tired. I was like okay, well, she’s gonna conk out immediately. I’m not gonna bother taping the diaper. Oh, no, no, no. Like the minute I put her in her crib. She was like, look at all the energy I have. And five minutes later, I look at the monitor. And there she is pants off. There’s a booty little booty cheeks out. So I like go ahead of course she’d like already peed and Pete a lot. So I had to like change her shirt by just like put a towel down like a woman will deal with this later, post slap diaper on her taped it. where it’s like, let’s let her nap. And I was like, Oh my God, this kid. She is so funny. She slays me. So

it’s so amusing to me because I obviously have two boys and boys are weird and gross in their own way. And mine never took their diapers off. They still got they still get enough pee everywhere. But like this, this journey with your daughter has been kind of fascinating to me. Because who knew who knew that girls were so

crafty. She just really wanted to air it out. And it’s well it’s funny because it’s because like she doesn’t do this at all when she’s like up. She does not. It’s not like she’s like, oh, oh my gosh, I can’t handle like having clothes on or something like that. She’s just I think she’s bored. And she’s like, Oh, here we go. Here’s the thing I can play with. Because of what because the day that I walked in, but for her nap The other day I walk in and she sees me walk in and she has she just hands me the diaper, which had no no pee in it. It was completely dry. By the way she had peed after she took the diaper. She like handed it to me like There you go. I think you might want this. Oh my god. You normally take them from me so I thought you wouldn’t want it I saved you the trouble have saved you the trouble of it. So anyway that has been our insane journey has led us to keep in a role of packing tape by the changing table. Who knew that that was going to be a parenting essential? Not us. We had no idea that this is this is a price all of us.

Love it. What’s new with you. I bought a new Plant today. I love it. It’s very exciting for me. I this morning I went back to sleep after the dog woke me up and because it was too early, and she has been with us long enough that she’s like, okay, I’ll go back to sleep. But then, when the alarm went off, I was in the middle of a dream. Oh, I hate that I woke up, I woke up really disoriented, and extra tired. And then I was just kind of mad for the whole morning and I was like, screw it. I’m gonna go buy myself a new plant. So I went to a plaster that hadn’t been to yet and wandered around for a little bit. bought myself a nice little plant that I can put in my office and it should grow and like be one of those long, truly heavy kind of things down the side of the bookshelf.

Yeah, I like that. I might have to go get one because I need a new hanging plant because I killed the one that used to live in my bedroom. So I’ve been meaning to pop over to that nursery. So you gave me the like reminder. They’re quite stocked full of plants.

They don’t. I didn’t feel they didn’t have a ton of hanging indoor plants. But they have all lots of plants. Yeah, they always have lots and lots of house plants. They always have a really good selection. It was it was very exciting to me. Luckily for everyone in my house that I only came home with one

I am actually impressed that you only came home with one that is that is some excellent self control that you were exhibiting. Whenever I go there, it’s I it’s lucky if I leave with just one because usually it’s one or maybe a planter and like maybe I mean I did this maybe they don’t even count as planned. So like I can. I did buy a planter slash bowl, pot, situation, whatever it is to put the plant in. So it’s well and I bought a new pair of gloves.

So it’s not okay, but no other things. Also, I might have to go back though, because they have a plant or there are at least a day today. That is a dinosaur. And it’s not it’s kind of large actually. It’s pretty awesome. I might have to go back. Not if I get there first now if I if I if you see it there, just buy it for me and I will pay back I will do do cuz I only had one, so I should have just gotten it.

Right. Oh my goodness. Well, we’re gonna circle back to a fun and light hearted topic today.

Yeah, we have talked about this topic before, but we have certainly not run out of things to say about it. And our guest definitely has a few thoughts on musicals, too. So please welcome back our friend Caleb Finley.

Oh, whoa. Hi, friend. So it’s been over a year. Yeah, since we last had you on the podcast. Um, can you give everyone an update on what you’ve been up to in this past year? I mean, aside from like, surviving a pandemic and stuff. Yeah.

Honestly, well, I didn’t stop working. So I’m still a manager at a pet shop in Brentwood. So we were curbside through the majority of it. So I was still going to work and you know, sort of living life normally, but like closed off also with the from the world. It was weird. But other than that, now much has changed. I do nothing new unfortunately. I’m very boring. The most recent thing that I’ve added to my life is I’m now dungeon mastering a campaign for my friends for d&d, which is a sentence I never thought in a million years I would ever say. I’m like d&d for like weirdos. Oh, wait. Oops, I am one now.

So funny to me because my brother was he was really into d&d when he was like a teenager. And like, I guess he’s, I guess never went away for him. But I feel like when he was a teenager it was that was when it was like really, really big. And that was when everyone was like, people who play d&d worship Satan. Yeah, but now like what away but now it’s like back in a big way. I feel like I know so many people who

play surgeons. It’s crazy. And like interesting and like now knowing like because obviously it had that stigma of like, oh, if you play this like you worship Satan, like now playing it and knowing like what it all is about, I’m like, this is just like role playing as like a magical weirdo. Like Just trying to like kill, you know, Dragon. There’s no devil worship unless you’re trying to like fight someone who is worshipping a devil. Right? And that’s like the opposite. So Exactly. Oh my gosh, yeah, I love that. You know, I’m not up to much.

I mean, that’s basically where we’ve been. I know. It’s fine, is we’re worse. We’re survived. We survived the last year. You know, I honestly, we all need like, a badge for that. Well, honestly, I feel like 2021 is truly feeding us like, Hey, here’s here’s, like, forgive 2020 for being such a shit year with all of these movie musicals that are coming out. Like so many. Yeah. So I’m so excited. Like, oh,

we should talk about the one that’s coming out next. First. I feel like yeah, just go in chronological ish order.

So we get in the heights next, right? Yes. Oh, oh, my god. Have either of you seen it? I know. I have not. Okay,

so are you familiar with like, the like, Have you listened to the soundtrack? Or cast album? Yes. Yeah. Okay. So, like, be prepared like you think that like, you won’t be emotionally prepared. Like, I can barely watch the trailer without crying. Like, sad. But like when I saw, I saw the first national tour of it. I literally just sat there and, like, cried to the entire thing, though. It’s, you know, it’s more of a happy musical. But it was just like one of those where it was just so much joy and happiness within like, you know, presenting this culture. And it was just so beautiful. And to see it, you know, on the movie screen and how just colorful and bright and vibrant it is just the trailer alone. Like, I am so excited to watch it and like I do. I do plan on going to the movie theater and watching it like I have to.

I do feel like it is probably like if there’s if there were anything I was gonna go see in theaters, this would probably be the one. I don’t know. I don’t know if I promised so Megan is out of town. The day it comes out. But I promised her I’d wait for this is true friendship, Caleb. Her today that I would wait for her. So

that is dedication. It’s true. Because I mean, like whether it be available on HBO like that day. I’m gonna change the password as

well. So when Megan and I went to go see Hamilton, it was her second time seeing it and my first time seeing it. And she was like, we need to remember tissues because you’re gonna cry. We forgot. We forgot them in spine. And I was like, Okay, and then like they’re just like, a complete and utter like snotty mess. So it does not surprise me that this one will probably also make me cry like, yeah, like this way I have that way about him. Yeah, yeah. So, so excited. Yeah, I’m very, very Yeah, I’m also like, the trailer gives me chills. I was so sad when it had to be like, postponed last year.

I know. I forget what movie it was. We went to go see it and the trailer played before it. And I literally just sat there crying and Stevie like looked over me. He was like, are you okay? I was like, I’m not like I really?

I am absolutely not. Okay. I will not be okay. Um, well, then. We the trailer. Another trailer just came out today as we’re recording this for dear Evan Hanson. Yeah. So we have some sweet so I have not. That’s another one where I have listened to the soundtrack, but I have not seen it. Meghan has seen it,

though. I have not seen it. I have only so they released like a novel version of the book or the show. And so I’ve read the novelization. And I have some it was Yeah. And like so I don’t know really how it compares with the stage script. But I I definitely feel like there are like, some problems with it. Like socially, like there’s some problems in there. But I love The music I like it is it’s coming back to to Nashville on the tour. So I’m hoping to see it this time because I missed it last time. But I mean, waving through a window would absolutely be my audition song if I still audition for things, but you know, I don’t literally sing it all the time.

So I saw it, and it’s, uh, I hadn’t listened to you, it really, I kind of listened to it before I saw it, but a lot of it, it didn’t really like Connect for me until I saw it. Um, and I, I love it. I love the musical. I thought it was amazing. I think one thing that I really, really liked about it that I’m that I don’t think would translate at all to the novel is the way that they did the staging. And a lot of the like social media aspects of it. And so I’m really curious about how they’re going to portray that in the movie. Because I think on the stage show, it’s very impactful. So I don’t know if they’re gonna get like that same feeling. But yeah, when I was watching the trailer for today, like I was like you watching the in the heights trailer, I was like starting to tear up. Because in the show, I was like bawling at the end of it. So I don’t know. It’s just really good. I do have some thoughts about Ben Platt apparently the entire internet plane a high plane, a high school student. Ah, it it has some real original Greece vibe. For me, is that like he doesn’t? I don’t know if it’s just because I’m so much older now. But he doesn’t seem he doesn’t look super old to me. Not super old. Definitely skews young. I think he’s definitely younger than it’s I think it’s weird. I don’t think it’s interesting. Because it’s like the way I don’t know if it’s just like, his looks or whatever, he skews younger. And I feel like he looks younger than like, I don’t know, all of these high school students on like, the CW drum was just like the sex factor part of it. And he’s just more of a normal person. So I’m more accepting of it, I guess. But I get I guess they cast him because they didn’t want to not have the originator of the role. Yeah,

I mean, cuz he for so like, for any listeners that don’t know his, like connection, he I mean, he was pretty, he played a pretty big part in the show getting, like, launched onto Broadway and like he so he played Evan Hanson, the lead role from the very first like readings that they ever did. So I can see through, you know, the original Broadway cast. So like, yeah, like I can see them being like he’s, he’s the Oji Evan Hanson, but also

think there’s so many other people that could have played that part still. And I’m just like, Yes, I love his voice. Like his voice is just insane. But I was like that when he when it was first announced that he was playing the lead role and I was like, okay, cool, whatever and then like the more that I thought about it, and sat in that I was like, that would be like me going back and like trying to play a high school or on stage it would not work. Yeah.

So he is 27 so like, it’s literally he’s literally 10 years out Yeah.

Show like that. Like the wig that they have on him like it’s really why why did they bother? Yeah, I’m like just let him use his own hair like it just grow it out a little more whatever

definitely also, like I don’t know I don’t know if they like made him gain weight or if they like did they definitely like chunk his face out. They definitely did some like baby baby face, punchiness cuz I’m looking at like stills right now I’m looking at like stills from the trailer versus like his headshots. And there’s definitely a difference there.

I definitely use like some sort of like filter on him. It’s like the the roof haul like, you know, smooth filter from season one and drag

just on him.

No, I will say I’m very excited. Did like I didn’t know Julianne Moore was in it. I like or if I did know that I completely forgot. And then Amy Adams as well. So like, I love both of them and I just watched woman in the window which starred as both of them and that so side note, watch it. It’s amazing. But I’m like, Oh my god, I love these two. Like, yeah, I need them in more movies together.

Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I think it will be amazing. I know that I will cry a lot. I love Love, love, love the music so much. Like, even if all even if all this does is like get that soundtrack like more mainstream and give me more excuses to listen to that soundtrack. Oh, yeah, fine. I’m fine with it. So that was very exciting. To watch that trailer. I Megyn like texted to me and then I immediately texted all do our homework. We’ve all had homework for

this episode. Yeah. Well, and then that have you watched the West Side Story trailer?

I haven’t watched the trailer yet because I didn’t realize that it came out.

It is like, like, I okay, here’s the thing. I don’t like West Side Story. I like the music. I don’t like the story. Fair. Yeah. He’s like it might be problematic or something, you know. And it’s depressing. A little problematic, Isabelle. But the trailer gave me chills. I mean, like, it’s like, it’s Steven Spielberg directing. I mean, it’s gonna be visually stunning. And the trailer showed that immediately and it was just gorgeous. So I’m excited for that around Christmas. Yeah, there’s gonna be 2021 is just really,

there’s actually a lot there’s so many that are coming out. At some point in the future, they just all like have some point coming out. ones and there’s like we did. Is that really? Are they making that? Yeah. It is like pre production right now. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Finally, they’re doing Cyrano de are still working on the Little Mermaid. Yes. making a movie version of Matilda. there they’re doing the color purple. They’re doing a new Guys and Dolls. Jacqueline Hyde, a new version of Joseph Kagan I mean, a new version of Little Shop of Horrors. musical version of Mean Girls. Yes. A new Miss Saigon. Which I don’t see. They can’t. Like oh, that’s gonna be so depressing. It’s gonna be real hard. Yeah. All over Pippin. Wow. Oh, I would Lordy and best Spamalot, South Pacific. They’re gonna do Spring Awakening.

That one. That’s my favorite musical. And I just, I I’m very protective of that show. I just don’t know how they can do that in a movie. Like, that’s one of those that I’m like, I know that you’re supposed to, like, expand or like, expand to like your imagination and whatnot. But like, that’s just one that I’m like, these are supposed to be like, 12 year olds. Sorry. Sorry about it. Like, you know.

So like, I there are there are certain shows, I just feel are more magical onstage? Yes. There’s just like, when you see how they do the blocking or, like, they’re, I don’t know, there’s like, a level of reality that the move like movies bring that sometimes takes away that magic? Like, yeah, I don’t know, I just I like seeing things on stage. I like seeing how they do. Like, if there are special effects. I like seeing how they do the special effects on this stage. Like because it’s so much easier. I mean, quote, easier. Special effects like in movies. Yeah, you can CGI things and just badger them into existence versus like, on a stage where it has to be perfectly planned out. perfectly timed, like all of it has to be just exactly right. So yeah, sometimes there’s sometimes sometimes I love movie versions. And sometimes I’m like, I don’t know I liked it better on stage. You know, also speaking of speaking, suspension of belief and CGI. Yeah, so we all had our our first set of homework besides Watching the dear Evan Hanson trailer for this episode was we all watched cats the movie? None of us. We were not together, but none of us were sober when we watched the movie. We’ll just leave it at that. Um, you were rolling in the catnip?

Yes, accurate. Because that was well made, and I decided that was the only way that we could watch. Then we texted Caleb and said, hey, what, uh, come on. Okay, so tell everybody about your history with cats. So not not cats the animal. So we have to? Well, the

funny thing is, is like, I feel like cats, the musical has been around my entire life. And I have never been able to escape it no matter how hard I try. And it was the it was one of the first like cast recordings that I remember, like, listening to like, besides Phantom of the Opera, which, again, Android Weber, he ruled my like beginnings into musical theater. But my sister was obsessed with cats, like to the point that anytime we went to the library, she would check out the VHS of the 1998 film stage version. And so we watch that all the time. And, like, I had that show, memorize backwards and forwards. And then was like, This show is so stupid. It’s literally humans dressed as cat. This is so stupid. And then fast forward to 2011. One of the local theaters back in Peoria did cats the musical? and Hannah, my sister was like, can you please audition with me? Like, it’ll be fun. And I was like, I don’t want to be a cat. And she was like, but it’ll be fun. And then like, some of my other friends were also auditioning, and I was like, Fine, let’s do it. Yeah. And thus ensued the most intense summer of my entire life. And I was I got to play symbol Shanks, the railway cat. And I did not wear pants in this version. But so yeah, ever since then, like, I’ve just never been able to escape cats, no matter how hard I try.

So no matter what, as soon as you like, think of a song from cats. It’s stuck in your head for like five days. It really is. Yeah. It is. I mean, no matter what he was on when he wrote that music, like it is some some catchy nonsense.

And I learned something really interesting, like, so the, the more I tried to escape from cats, the more I learned about it. I learned that so when Andrew Lloyd Webber was in the midst of like writing it and trying to get the rights from Ts Eliot’s, like est, his Ts Eliot’s wife was still alive. And she basically was like, yeah, you can use the like, old possums book of cats or whatever. Like, you can use these but you can only use like the poems you can’t add any other dialogue, which is why it’s so weird. It’s so weird. Just

with it, he was like, This is still a great idea. Yeah, I will give no other context. This is just what its gonna be. And now it’s the fourth longest running musical of all time, which is also like part I like I want to be like, Well, first, the first question was TS Eliot Okay, answer Probably not. Second question is Andrew Lloyd Webber, okay, answer Probably not. Third, third question. Are we all okay, because we’ve kept it going for this long. Yeah. And I guess the last year tells us absolutely we are not No, because I mean,

I I know people who cast as their favorite musical my mother in law’s favorite people.

I love her so much, but I it’s so weird. And you know, when you’re watching it, at some point you get so at some point you’ve been watching, you’re in the middle of and you’re watching and and your brain starts to think like okay, I guess this is normal, and then somewhere in the back, you Your head you’re like, but no, this is the no this is about cats like yeah, actual meow. have tails cats. Yep. But that’s definitely that’s

jellico Calico cats, they’re not normal cats, you know Stephie You said that you would actually not seen the musical version the hallway through the stage. Oh,

I had not like sat and watch the station. I’ve just seen like bits and pieces here and there. And because that was all I could handle.

So I will definitely say that like you should, you should watch the stage show because it is. Well, actually, I guess I will preface that with if you like dance shows. The stage show is the dancing is amazing, beautiful. And like though you have like Bizarro music playing and like really a nonsensical plot. It’s still like a decent show to like, watch because the dancing is just like, absolutely insane.

Think about it. Maybe after I forgotten this, this this cinematic experience that we had, is that what it was? Yeah, definitely was an experience. Yeah. So Megan Meghan’s summary was the movie both went too far and didn’t go far enough.

Yeah. Yeah. We just have so many questions. We have a lot of questions. All right. Okay. Okay. So,

I the seat, I mean, okay, we have to talk about the CGI. Anyone who watched and like this is if anyone watched the trailer, you already are aware that the CGI in this movie, the many, many articles were written about it like it’s bad. It’s really bad. But it’s also there’s a lot of consistencies in it. So yes, like, okay, they are CGI this cats. And but some cats are cattier than others. Like some of them have more human faces than others. Also, they all have human hands. Not this really bothers mega can tell you. What not stop commenting on it. Really. I was really distracting and disturbing to me. Like their feet. They had must have had them in like, you know, like ballet slipper type shoes or whatever. So their feet they at least like made to look like they had little cat like they were little cat paws. Yeah, but their hands. They did it. They didn’t do anything to their hands. They didn’t they didn’t extend like the further down. Yeah, it was literally like they were just wearing sleeves and then they just had human hands at the end of their arms and it was freaky as fuck.

No, so Okay, so if they would have actually had like cat paws on them, though, with human faces, though. That still would have been

it would have been weird but they at least could have like extended like the further down onto like maybe the backs of their hands like it could have been like a more gradual transition. It was just their stance just dance Just Dance.

And and also like Judi Dench through the entire thing wearing her wedding ring. All Deuteronomy is married.

Yeah, we were trying to figure out how much money they paid her to do this. And it was both too much and not enough. I

guess so funny story. She was actually supposed to be the original. Victoria I think in like the London production. Oh, yeah. Like when it first came out? Yeah. I don’t know if it’s Victoria. It’s one of the cats but like, she ended up not getting to do it and like, always wanted to be in cats. So she probably didn’t have to be asked very many times

is Judi Dench, okay. I don’t know. I thought she was we thought so. And this is really um, the other thing that I could not get past was like, Okay, so we’ve CGI the cat to make them to make it seem like these. These humans are our cats in some sort of realistic way. Right? But then when they’re no one they knock over the garbage can has all the food in it. Like this really bothered you. It was really, really bad paper. Shea food well not only that, but like also the size can like continually like, not decide what size the cats were.

Yes. Like the last time that we watched it, that was the only thing I could think of. So I I have sat through the movie twice. And it is because like, people keep coming over and we’re like, oh, you haven’t seen cats? room where you’re like, have you seen the room? You have to watch the room. Okay.

What is in the sea where the hair dancing on the railroad tracks? I thought Megan I thought it was gonna pass out because, like, ever seen a cat? And have you ever seen railroad tracks? Because like there were multiple cats dancing on one railroad? Yes rail thing, I guess whatever it’s called, which it’s not like they they’d have to be the size of like, ATS for that to actually be feasible. Yeah, or the railroad track would have to be like three feet wide. None of it. Like an hour after we finished watching it. We were We were watching Great British Bake Off and mega just goes

we’re making

the first thing I would do is find a cat. You know? Oh my god. Yeah. Like,

you know how big this one thing is supposed to be? us figure out how big a cat is. Figure out how many cats you need. Like my son learned how to measure things by like, using a paperclip instead of a ruler. So like, how? Well like there’s also this scene in the bedroom where they’re stealing all the jewelry. And they’re like, here’s a ring. We’re just gonna put it on your arm. Yeah. cat’s arms are not that small. The owner of that ring has gigantic fingers.

Yeah, I and, and this is one of those days where like, This had to get through a lot of people hit did like a lot

of people. But I wonder if it’s the same thing of like, you know, the stage show just being like, everyone was like, yeah, this is a great idea. It’s gonna fail terribly. And it’s gonna close up within a year. Let’s just give them this. And then like, they just were like, yeah, let’s keep doing it. And then like, they finally did it. They were like, Oh, shit, people like it.

So I did. I did read an article that was like, that said that Judi Dench hadn’t actually seen the movie. She probably she might have by now. But when it came out, and everybody was like, What are you doing? Yeah. But she said that, like, the outfit that they had her in was horrible. She was or Yeah, when she thought she was gonna be super elegant. And they made her look

like she looked like how grizabella should have looked. Yeah, she was. She looked rough. Yeah, there’s also a moment where in character just goes Yes. Like, we’re introduced to him. I was gonna die.

Like in this huddle, this was like I she we were laughing are laughing so hard. She was like, look at you. And

what led you to this point in your life? Like, these are big names like I okay. I will say. I felt like of all of the like big name performances. Like I did feel like Jennifer Hudson’s was the best probably. Yeah, it was the one it was at least the one that made me want to, like, poke my eyes out the least. So bye. Bye. that regard. It was the best. But there were I just

I don’t know which one was more terrifying for me. Whether he would have been Rebel Wilson stripping her skin, just unzipping it, and then just randomly eating cockroaches or Jason Derulo. Like, sort of like a panther like cat or he just Elba as as Macavity by I don’t know which one is more like my cavity who kept like, like, never really explained what he or who he was like what

he was doing. Like, he kept disappearing? Which was very strange. Like, I know, I know, like when it started, Megan was like, wait, there’s already adding stuff that is not. Yeah, in the state like the storyline that added a lot.

That’s part of the problem because everyone who has seen cats knows that there’s not a real plot. Yeah. And we have all accepted that for the past 30 years. It’s fine. And yet, they insisted on adding this plot and adding all this extra supposedly comedic nonsense with Rebel Wilson and James Corden. And there’s just a lot extra happening that

Yeah, I don’t know why.

If I don’t have to see James Corden, and another musical, I will be so happy. Like, I liked all right, so let’s talk about the problem then. Yeah, I okay. I read from a couple months ago, I yeah. I loved the problem. I he was the only issue that I had with the problem. I wish that he and Andrew Reynolds had switched roles. Or they if they if they would have cast someone, like actually queer, and someone who could act the role. Nathan Lane is available. That is true. Yeah, here we

go. Yeah. Nice. I do think that like it would have been nice to have, like an actual queer actor. Yeah. In the role. I mean, it was cute. It was, it was it was I had never seen it or I was not familiar with like, any show at all, or the music at all. We just like had a movie night one night. We’re like, Alright, let’s watch this. And that’s when we also came up with the plan to watch cats when we were on catnip.

So

But yeah, I mean, it was definitely cute. I thought I liked all the colors. I thought. Colorful. I did think the main girl was. Yeah, I do think that girl was adorable. She was and I wish I wish it had been a little bit more about her than about the like, washed up celebrities.

Yeah, yeah, I thought the song was Nicole Kidman was stupid. Zazzle that was I feel like that was the worst part of the whole thing for me. Oh my god. Sorry, Nicole Kidman but it was just weird. And I don’t. I don’t know. To me. I do really like Andrew Reynolds though. Yeah, he’s adorable. He’s hilarious.

He’s very, very cute. But yeah, I did really love the main the main girl and I would love to see her more stuff. Same. I thought she was really adorable and did a really, really good job. So if anyone is listening, we don’t know her name. But Hi. Jo Ellen. pellman. Okay, she’s adorable. And we’ve loved her. Um, cat. I was just gonna say why the sidebar just because James Corden is fine. I was just gonna say I’m on the cat 2019 film Wikipedia page and man there it is great. At one line says it’s often considered one of the worst films ever made. Apparently it lost Universal Pictures. somewhere in the neighborhood of $114 million.

Wow, I had to go through like how many re edits before they were like okay, I guess we should just let this go.

They also are like introduce it like the different characters. They describe Macavity a villainous stray capable of operating. But yeah,

that is supposed to be what his character is. But like in the stage show, there’s no like kidnapping. He’s just like, medecine

Yeah, well, he does kidnap all Deuteronomy. Yeah, he could have showed up the others. No. Like, it was weird because like when they like went out onto that barge. I’m like, What is going on? I don’t understand. I was what is well and then. Okay, so and then Like add Demeter into it all like I love Taylor Swift but not It was hilarious because like it was she was so excited like posting about it and like posting about the movie being released yet yada yada. Once Christmas Day hit you never heard another word about that movie. I am very convinced that very like, like Judi Dench I doubt that Taylor has seen this movie.

Forget that ever happened. I’m fairly certain nearly everyone involved in this movie is regretting their life choices. Yeah.

Which is sad because I’m like it’s a it’s a huge musical and should have been good.

Right? Taylor Swift character is also extra weird because first of all, she has boobs. She’s the only Yep. And high heels for some reason. Yeah. But then also, she co wrote the new song which is painfully obvious that is a Taylor Swift song and not a cat song. It’s a fine song, but it doesn’t fit in.

Exactly. Yeah, I there was an okay song. It was obviously written for Oscar bait and like they didn’t get an Oscar nom oops, not not not even a one. bless their hearts. Well, I felt like so in this stage show. The song Macavity is done by Demeter and the other like female cat lead. whatever her name is, like a Bumble loreena bond ballerina. That’s what I just had to give him syllables. Like, it’s just like, really? Like, sexy. big number. Yeah. And in the movie, it just falls flat. And I’m like rewatching the stage show last night? I was like, they really like fuck that up. Like a lot. Like, this is awful. It was an experience. Yeah, yeah. Stephie gave me some homework about scramble Shanks. The railway cat. Oh, yeah. Okay, we got it.

Okay, guys. So when we first see the character of scramble shakes in the movie, we don’t actually know that that’s who the cat is. You just see a cat wearing a pair of red pants, with suspenders with suspenders. And at this point, none of the other cats have been wearing pants. And so Megan, and I were like, why is this cat wearing pants? and

Megan, what did you find out? report to us from Australia.

My suggestion because they’re in theory wearing leotards and such I was like, well, maybe they can’t contain him. Maybe his dick was too big. Yeah. So it’s on him like it’s a problem that men have. Yeah, well, and also Jason’s like, he claimed that was a problem for him. Yeah. I didn’t see him in a pants. Okay, so I did not actually find out the reason why he was wearing pants. But I did find out that I was definitely not the only person who thought that that was the reason. scramble. Shanks is supposed to wear a vest, not pants, but for some reason. He’s got pants. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because he is a ballet dancer and they like wanted to showcase the fact he has really long legs. I don’t know. He also has a weird handlebar mustache for some reason, but short hair on his head. So cats work, which is not okay.

He has like a like a partial owner that just shaves.

Well, the other thing that Megan pointed out at some point, too, was like all of the cats that are supposed to be like long haired cats, like their costumes are indicating that like their long haired cats. They all had like short fur hair or whatever on their heads. It’s very confusing. It was a little confusing. I mean, obviously it was just one of a number of things that we found confusing. Also at some point got kind of weirded out because like, their ears. I sometimes it was like sometimes the people making the movie and doing the CGI remembered that cat ears, twitch and move. Yep. And so occasionally somebody’s ears would like Twitch and move but not often enough to like really commit. It was like their tails as well. Yes. Like, their tails were like sort of constantly moving, but it was like in such a weird like, non cat like way that you’re like this is slightly uncomfortable and I feel like they might have rabies. Really horny? Yes. Yeah. But I mean, what street cat is that? There’s so many kittens. Yeah. Oh, yeah. And also, you know what? They never really answered the question of what is the jellico cat? I’m sorry. They just don’t. So the cat literally any cat? No, I know. But like, there’s a whole thing in the movie. Yeah, it’s just like, I’m not a jellico cat. Like, yeah, you are but you have to prove them. angelical cat? Like, what? A lot. Yeah, it’s just such a strange strange concept. Also,

I feel like we just talked about this forever with the many many things wrong with this. But why does Aegis Elba have weird eyes and no one else does.

His eyes were really freaky. Yeah, they were really really not okay. Yeah, he was the only one that got cat eyes.

Yeah, he had like yellowish gold. Whatever. They were agreeing. I don’t know. Like I couldn’t understand him having them. But everyone else should have some sort of cat. I have them too. Yeah, everybody else just had their normal eyes.

which honestly if they would have all had cat eyes I don’t know if I could have watched it. No, that would have been crazy freaky. Add cat paws just human facial features and then cat eyes. That is nightmare fuel for like the rest of your life.

But it’s weird that you can like watch that and the stage show and then be like You know what? I believe the stage show characters as cats more than I do. Yeah, these people who had millions and millions of dollars with CGI applied to their bodies.

We will post a picture of Caleb for when he was in Oh. Oh. And the funny thing is that that Megan recently saw a picture of you in the show. And she texted me she goes more believable as a cat than if the CGI you had the full head thing on you had gloves.

Way more believable when I like that show was so fun. But at the same time we did it in the like, we did it at the end of May. Like in it was so hot. And it was just like, was that one of the out show outdoor show? Yeah, cornstalk. Yeah, so that’s sweaty. Your leotard? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Man, well, the course was down there. really stinky. It was it was something you would peel those leotards off at night. It was so great. It smelled so bad. smells awful. I went through like five pairs of dance shoes and that show because, number one, they smelled awful. And number two, I kept getting holes in them and couldn’t spin correctly. Oops. It was awful. Oh,

my gosh.

Yeah. Well, we’ll share a picture on our Instagram. So if anyone hasn’t seen it, when you’re listening to this, we’ll already put it live. So catch her Instagram, you’ll be able to check it out. Well, well. And you know what? I’ll put I’ll put some slides in there of stills from the movie so that you can see the stage version is actually more believable than the CGI in case you have not subjected yourself if you want to enjoy the experience that we all had. It’s currently on HBO. Yes.

So if you are lucky enough to live in a state that allows human catnip also highly recommended by you watch.

Absolutely have yourself a little have yourself a little edible. And watch. watch some cat. It’ll be it’ll be an experience that you may never recover from. But you might see the heavy side layer. If you’re really our friend, you’ll experience it because Cuz we did. Yeah, friendship is and hashtag peer pressure.

Peer pressure is a very real peer pressure show in the first place it is. So, guys, I feel like every Android whoever showed needs to be seen in some under some sort of like influence of anything a little bit. Yeah, I mean, like Phantom, I think is the only like, Phantom and Sunset Boulevard are the only two like, once he’s done definitely want a veto, I guess. But like, the majority of his stuff is just so out there that I’m like, How did this get okay?

Oh, yeah. I mean, I saw Jesus Christ Superstar before the pandemic and it was just like, like, I’ve seen it before, but wow. Yeah.

Yeah, it’s a whole thing. Okay. Before we before we end before we talk about joy, Caleb, you’ve already said that Spring Awakening is your favorite musical? Yeah. But what is the favorite show that you have ever been in? Because you’ve been in in a number of productions?

That is okay. So I have to, will allow it. So my other favorite musical of all time, and my favorite musical I’ve ever done is next to normal. And it is about a family dealing with their mother’s bipolar depressive, schizophrenia. So it’s a very cheery musical.

I think did my did my parents come see you in that? Yes. Yeah. My mom was like, it said that it was amazing. And you were amazing. I remember that.

Yeah, it was one that I should have given people that I knew, personally, a heads up and a warning about the show’s content, but I didn’t. Because I was like, if you know, then that kind of ruins it. Yeah. But like my mom, like, sobbed through the second act. And she does not usually, like publicly cry. Yeah. But it is it was. It’s just one of those shows that like, it deals with so many different things of like, anywhere from like depression, anxiety, to losing a loved one to how you deal with the anger, and how, you know, this marriage and this family deals with all of it. And it was this just such a beautiful story and beautiful music to go along with it. That every single night. The energy in the theater was just so thick. It just overwhelmed everyone. It was just amazing. And then the second one is Sweeney Todd. But that’s on the opposite end of It’s so fun. The music I love Sondheim anything’s on time does. It was the hardest show I’ve ever done. Probably. vocally. I played Toby. And the music is just it’s absolutely insane. And gorgeous. And again, the story is fun. I mean, who doesn’t love a? You know, vengeful barber making pies? Yeah, I also like doing Chicago. I that was a fun show, too. So Oh, that would be a really fun show. Yeah, I you know, that was my first drag roll. Yeah, no, but so that’s my top three. I threw him in there. All right. No, Megan do you do you perform in musicals?

No, I was a I was a tech side so I did costumes. Love it. So I definitely go through high school. So

you’re Stephie I saw you and being a beast was some good time. Yes. Yeah, that was so much fun. I was I was the feather duster. It was so much fun to just be flirty, little little flirty feather duster. I don’t know I always love those like and that’s really sort of I’ve always feel like my my like sweet spot is those like character roles. Not the like I mean, I guess it could have could be fine play in like the romantic lead but that’s I don’t know that’s just not as fun as character roles. We get to do all the goofy shit or like, be super over the top. That to me, I people that know me in real life will be very shocked to hear that I would like to be But that for me it was is really the fun stuff. So, absolutely. Gimme gimme a non li like a sub lead a supporting lead. I don’t know whatever gets to do the fun quirky stuff over the like serious romantic lead anytime. Music. romance is so over done. No. It’s fine. Well, thank you for coming down. So much fun. It’s this was a much more fun topic for you. Last one. I’m sure you guys listened to our first episode with Caleb, it is a wonderful episode. It’s not exactly an upper but it is wonderful. But this one was definitely a more fun, lighthearted topic to have you on.

What’s bringing us joy?

So let’s wrap up the week talking about what’s bringing us joy, Caleb, you go first.

Oh my gosh, what is bringing me joy this week. I’m gonna be a huge nerd started off that way. So keep in mind, I’m gonna continue it with the DND shit. Because I just got a new guide book called van Roxanne’s guide to ravenloft, which is all about how to draw and write up a campaign setting in a horror setting. And I love anything scary and horror. So I am very excited to take my campaign of princesses that I’m dealing with right now and put them in some sort of like creepy monstrosity of a story that just came out today. And I’m like, I literally came home and like, you know, quickly was like, Hi, Stevie. And like, quickly open the package and just started looking at it. Exactly.

So yeah, that is what is making me happiest right now. Besides that, it would definitely be all of the the funny Greece. themed memes of dear Evan Hanson. I have not seen that meme, but I’m gonna ask them, I will send you a few. Poor Ben Platt. Oh, oh, Megan was bringing you joy.

So this is also slightly nerdy, though not as quite as nerdy as deep. But I downloaded the new Oregon Trail game for my iPad. And I’ve been playing it a lot. And it’s really fun and stupid. And I really like it. They updated it to be more historically accurate and portray Native American. Yeah, cuz it was super racist before. And so they consulted some Native American scholars and worked with them to make it better. And the game itself is very expanded based, alright, compared to the original version. So there’s many more things that you can do. And my kids get a kick out of it too, because they are not really familiar with the original one. And they just think that it’s hilarious. You can die of a foodborne disease. That’s amazing. Like new things, like what can kill you. Um, so you can die from dysentery, typhoid fever, which comes from like a snake bite or from having clothes dirty too long. Oh, you can die of a bullet wound you can die of a broken leg, broken arm. And obviously you can drown in the river. You can also about 40 in the river. Right? You can be attacked by a bear. Wow. There’s a lot of stuff happening. Yeah.

It’s always like, wanted to like go back and like live through those areas. But it’s games like that. Or like, you know, I play a lot of Assassin’s Creed and I’m like, Hi, I would love to go back to ancient like Greece. It would be so much fun and then like something happens or like I die and I’m like, Yeah, I don’t want to go there. Yeah, I like modern plumbing. Yeah.

My dear sweet husband who loves me so much told me that if the zombie apocalypse ever happened, I’d probably be one of the first ones to die. So I accurate though. Yeah, he’s absolutely right. So I feel like I probably wouldn’t make it very long.

Though I pretty much any other time period that now Do you feel like you could last a while though? Like, I feel like you would board the house up? You have plenty of books, we’ll always have something to eat. Like, you can last for a while, as long as if she didn’t have to leave the house. Yeah.

I really appreciate your I might, I might replace Alex with you, it’s fine. That Alex is the one that would get food for you. This is basically what happened last year with the pandemic store all the time. So Fine, everything is fine. Um, so for me, um, we have reached the point where at, like, pays more attention to like if we put a show on TV or whatever. And we have discovered Bluey and blue is adorable. And it is absolutely like a great kid show. It is Australian. And there are these like, it’s a little family of like blue healers. And they’re so cute. It is so cute. And like Alex had it on earlier and like he was like, I could hear him in the living room like from my office. I could hear him like laughing at like the the the show. It’s really it’s very cute. So anyone with little kids I highly recommend blue also Bluey is actually a girl. So I like that. I like that. The blue character. She’s a little blue dog is not a boy dog like that. They made her girl so anyway, blue.

So that’s adorable. And like just wait until she starts talking like, oh my gosh. I remember my cousin one of her kids started watching. But it’s the pig. Is it Peppa Pig with a British accent? Yes. Yeah. Okay, her kids would watch that and like they started like talking like that. And it was the weirdest thing because you have like these like kids, you know, growing up out in the country on a farm and then they’re like, what I would like this mother and I’m like, Oh, this is creepy. Mommy.

Here. Here’s it. Here’s the funny thing about Peppa Pig for you as I’ll leave everybody with apparently, Eden’s sister got really into Peppa Pig. And her birth mom texted me and she’s like, I can’t unsee this. But all of the all of the pigs in Peppa Pig. They’re like heads look like penises. Oh my god. They do. Yeah, once you once. You can’t unsee it. If anyone’s can listen to Peppa Pig. You’re welcome. Yeah. seven feet tall. That’s an insanely large pig. It’s. Anyway, there you go. You can also add like the dad has like the stubble on his chin. You’re welcome. You’re welcome. You guys could thank Taylor for that one Taylor. shoutout for the day.

So this week, Taylor is why we are explicit podcasts. That’s the deep dive that we need next, Megan so we’ll get on to that investigative journalism. Why they made that choice.

There was honestly a common theme between the two. So I don’t know if we should be worried about Megan’s investigating or not. I don’t know.

Next week’s episode

really gonna be curious. She’s going these days. It’s fictional characters and their connection to the dicks. That’s fine, but allowing your guys next week we will be back to talk about college.

So in the meantime, leave us a review on Apple podcasts and listen to us on your favorite platform. You can also follow us on social media at irsipodcast or send us an email at idratherstayinpodcast@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from our listeners. Bye

Transcribed by https://otter.ai